Tucker adds DeMatha corner to rapidly growing 2021 class
The recruiting momentum keeps on building for Michigan State under Mel Tucker as the Spartans added their sixth member of the Class of 2021 on Monday with the commitment of Hyattsville (MD) DeMatha Catholic defensive back Antoine Booth II.
Booth II, a 6-foot corner, joins Oak Park running back Davion Primm, East Lansing tackle Ethan Boyd, Miami (FL) Gulliver Prep corner Gabe ‘Spida’ Neely, Detroit Loyola defensive tackle Derrick Harmon, and Warren Mott defensive lineman Tyson Watson as committed players in Tucker’s first recruiting class at Michigan State.
Booth II selected Michigan State over offers from Maryland and Rutgers. Buffalo and UMass also offered.
Ranked No. 20 overall in the talent-rich state of Maryland, Booth was identified as a priority defensive back recruit in this class by Michigan State under former head coach Mark Dantonio. Michigan State cornerbacks coach Harlon Barnett re-offered Booth II on April 3.
Being a recruiting priority for Michigan State was a significant factor in Booth’s decision to commit when he did.
“First off, the coaches made me feel like family,” Booth said. “From the time 2021 recruiting started in September, they always showed me love. (The) new staff came in after (Michigan State) offered me the first time and re-offered me again.”
Barnett spearheaded the re-recruitment of Booth. Tucker also played an active role in the recruiting process as did defensive coordinator Scottie Hazelton.
“Spoke with Coach Mel, Coach Barnett, and Coach Hazelton,” Booth said. “They all made me feel like a priority in their 2021 recruiting class, so I made them mine.”
Defensive line coach Ron Burton, who had Maryland as a secondary recruiting area as a member of Dantonio’s staff, was instrumental in identifying Booth II as a potential Spartan recruiting target early in the process.
Booth is a good athlete with explosive leaping ability, as evidenced by his 37-inch vertical. As he develops in a college weight room, Booth should be able to maximize his athletic ability. He was active as a sprinter running both indoor and outdoor events as a freshman and sophomore and high school.
Barnett doesn’t settle for one dimensional. Having coverage skills are a good starting point, but Barnett-coached corners are required to play with physicality, and Booth isn’t skiddish about getting his uniform dirty. He makes tackles and is active as a run defender, which gives him common ground with some of the better Barnett-coached DB’s at Michigan State.
Booth II is the first DeMatha Catholic football player committed to Michigan State since the Spartans signed former All-Big Ten linebacker Darien Harris in the Class of 2011. Harris, a former Michigan State captain, was instrumental in Michigan State’s 2013 and 2015 Big Ten Championships. He won a Rose Bowl as a sophomore and helped the Spartans earn a berth in the 2015 College Football Playoff as a senior.
Harris played one season in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. He is currently a member of the Tucker’s staff at Michigan State where he serves as the Director of Player Engagement.